In a note to investors on Thursday, Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White reiterated a rumor that Apple’s next-generation iPhone will include integrated NFC capabilities. The rumor was essentially confirmed by European carrier Deutsche Telekom at Mobile World Congress earlier this week when the company stated that it will offer an NFC-enabled iPhone in the first half of this year. Interestingly, however, White also noted that his sources indicate the iPhone 5’s NFC capabilities will feature a “twist” that will differentiate the device from its competition. Mobile payments are expected to be the main focus of NFC-enabled cell phones, which are being promoted aggressively in 2011 by cell phone makers, carriers and other companies that will earn revenue from the transactions the emerging technology will facilitate. The idea of a twist in Apple’s NFC implementation could prove to be another interesting selling point for the company’s next iPhone when it launches this summer.

NFC requires that your device is right ON TOP of the other device. This is for security, so someone can’t just tap into your NFC-provided financial data from across the room. So, probably not anything you are saying.

http://kevingh.com/ Kevin

I know that, which sounds perfect for the examples I mentioned earlier. NFC will just be used to engage connectivity for another protocol, such as WiFi or Bluetooth.

http://twitter.com/carlosaya Carlos

I guess for BT if the devices are right up on eachother then connect them, but I think BT3.0 already has that (correct me if I am wrong). For WiFi, you wouldnt ever really put your phone up to a router to connect to the network since the routers (esp in business or public places) are out of site or up in the ceiling. For iTunes syncing, I guess you could wave it in front of a “airdock” or something to initiate iTunes sync over WiFi, but you don’t need NFC to do that, just sync when you connect to whatever you specify as your “home” network…of course thats assuming Apple ever gets around to wireless synchronization.

Anonymous

Better yet, NFC via bluetooth or WiFi = device based “mesh networks” with no mobile operator or ISP needed. I repeat: NO MOBILE OPERATOR OR ISP NEEDED! So go ahead and shut down all ISPs and cell networks in a given country (in an effort to crush the voice of the people) you future “Mubarak” type wannabes (i.e. Egypt). The promise “NFC with a twist” coupled with existing tech (Facebook, Twitter, Bluetooth, device based wifi, etc.) equals POWER TO THE PEOPLE! Sayin…

http://twitter.com/carlosaya Carlos

what?! not sure what you are going on about, but good luck getting to any content in your device-based mesh network. you’re still gonna want to get back to the cloud which is going to involve an ISP at some point in the chain. Plus, NFC range is like 10cm, so go ahead and bump phones with everyone if you really want to.

davewuvswaffles

“NFC requires that your device is right ON TOP of the other device”

Not necessarily true. There are ways (with a briefcase-sized device if memory serves correctly) that is able to grab credit card info from RFID-enabled credit cards. I wouldn’t be surprised if something similar was possible with NFC-enabled cell-phones.

http://twitter.com/TechGuyG Greg Smith

NFC tech has been around for sometime, in fact, we in North America are so so so far behind when compared to the likes of Japan. Google has adopted the tech in the Nexus S but even still, retail locations and such won’t adopt the tech just yet. But….. It shouldn’t be this way, but once Apple adopts NFC, that industry will explode.

Boodah

Keep in mind… IF our financial data is accessible thru an NFC hack, there will be some shaky times ahead. Remember the RFID fiasco that the banking industry made sure never saw the light of day, on a PSA scale. Right on top of is very easy to do, be it NFC technology or RFID… I just wonder what controls will be in place to protect the consumer because this thing is TOTALLY business driven! They want it bad… bad enough that there’s almost this “end-user be damned” attitude behind it.

sirpaul

The bluetooth pairing idea is that only good one. The rest wouldn’t work or are completely not practical.

http://kevingh.com/ Kevin

They’re just ideas, but I think you get where I was going with it.

Michael Scrip

All I want to know is if the next iPhone will come to Verizon this summer as well.

I’ve had a Verizon upgrade chillin’ for the last 4 months… and i don’t wanna buy the iPhone 4 now if Verizon will get the iPhone 4GS

Bigq548

maybe it will show account balances with each transaction?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR6HpRLyzMY Walter Sobchak

What’s apple turning into with all these twists, M. Night Shalamamalon?

Anonymous

Maybe the ‘twist’ is that it’s been designed by M. Night Shyamalan

Anonymous

What is the twist? We already knew it would have NFC, this a dumb article.

http://twitter.com/B3it B3it

Let me guess…Apple gets 30% of all purchases?

Anonymous

Thts a good one he he

Seabass

The twist is that it will be Apples magical NFC technology. ;)

Anonymous

Maybe it’s going to be magical lol. Doesn’t the Nexus S have this already? If you’re taking the Android route the Nexus line of devices is a must.

Anonymous

Yeah how’s that Nexus one doing with 2.3? Oh, yeah, my bad.

http://twitter.com/carlosaya Carlos

wtf? he said Nexus S, not Nexus One. and yes, the Nexus SSSSSSSSSS has this already. Not Google’s fault if they beat everyone else to market with NFC-capable hardware. Eventually, there will be places where this can be used.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR6HpRLyzMY Walter Sobchak

You are just priceless!

http://twitter.com/carlosaya Carlos

haha, coming from one of my fav movie characters at all time. it is an honor, sir!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR6HpRLyzMY Walter Sobchak

Mine too man. Most people around here have no idea who it is.

Anonymous

Like Apple needs “another interesting selling point” to sell millions and millions of new iPhones.

http://justinpaine.com xxdesmus

Apple will likely claim they invented NFC technology … wouldn’t be the first time they did something similar.

Anonymous

Nobody F’ing Cares…

http://twitter.com/carlosaya Carlos

This article is garbage. No substance at all, its just some financial analyst making a claim based on his “sources”. For all we know, he is saying things purely to get people to buy it up so he can sell at a higher price. I don’t see what apple could do to this standard other than say their implementation is “magical”.

…btw, does anyone else think the Snapdragon logo in the ad above looks a little like the SonyEricsson logo? Maybe Sony should sue them too.

Xsighted

the twist will be your iTunes account connected to the NFC payment system to Apple could take another 30% off each transaction ..

http://www.vgchartz.com SuperChunk

Most logical. Others will actually be better if they allow the user to connect it to any type of payment method, even Paypal (my preference). But I’m betting Apple with utilize iTunes so it can cash in as well as seem easier as any iPhone user already has iTunes.

Anonymous

THIS ISN’T NEWS

Funky Monk

I hope Apple is not going with a iTunes-centric Apple only NFC payment type. If history repeats itself (see the 1980s for what happened the amazing Macintosh vs. the cloddy Windows), Apple’s hubris and refusal to open the system will be washed away by the tsunami of Android/WP7/etc. Apple is an amazing and innovative company. But it’s products unfold like a Greek tragedy because of it’s pride and refusal to play nice with others.

marK

Precisely.

http://twitter.com/willsours Will Sours

The twist no doubt being that they’ll be taking 30% of whatever the transaction is.

Pete T.

I do recall reading an article where Apple was thinking of using NFC to sync your profile and settings from one computer to another. So essentially your iPhone becomes the bridge between your home computer and work computer. It ties in with the new Mac App Store. If you download some apps to your home computer and then sync your profile to your iPhone via NFC, when you get to work it will automatically download any new apps/files/settings to that computer. Almost like Chrome’s browser sync, but with an actual OS. But, I could be wrong…

http://twitter.com/carlosaya Carlos

NFC has a very low range (4-10cm) and very low throughput (tops out at like 850kiloBIT/sec, so 100kBps). If they are going to do something like what you are saying it, then WiFi would make WAYYYY more sense for the throughput and range alone.

Pete T.

Perhaps then they’ll use the iPhone as more of an authentication token then an actual profile storage device. Apple look to use cloud storage for profile settings, etc. under MobileMe…? Google just launched the Google Authenticator for Android to deliver 2-factor authentication. Perhaps Apple has their own ‘twist’ of this feature in store. Your iPhone would then be a phone/credit card/smart card. I think no matter how Apple uses NFC it’s gonna be pretty good. It’s about time the US started catching up to Japan with NFC!

Anonymous

Let me guess…P2P payments via NFC?

Carlos

this makes the most sense. Not sure what API’s would be available, but Android/WinMo7 could also allow 3rd party devs to bake this into their apps (Paypal makes sense)

Steel

Let me guess… Apple gets a cut…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR6HpRLyzMY Walter Sobchak

30%
This changes everything…. Again!

Anonymous

Oh Jesus!!!! Now we have to hear about iPhone 5 for the next 12 months; then, Verizon iPhone 5; and, then, rumours about how God created Steve Jobs at the same time he created the universe.
Give iPhone a break, there’s got to be more (much more) going on in Barcelona!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=503037611 Brett Smith

The twist is in your wrist. You gotta hold it the right way dummy!

electrocar

The twist is that it will be capable of the same thing the New webos phone and touchpad which is tapping the two together to share info. By using nfc and not Bluetooth you’ll save battery which Apple is big on.

Jo2reco

Direct connection to your inner self. Then, wait for it. You can use small pieces of your soul to make payments

kwaping

It would be neat if “the twist” is using the FF camera on the phone to verify your identity via biometrics when making an NFC payment. Then you wouldn’t have to freak out (as much) if you lose your phone, or it gets stolen.